MUSCICAPIN.E. 167 



GENUS, Erythrosterna, Bon. 



Bill moderately wide at the base, depressed, slightly hooked and 

 notched at the tip ; rictal and nareal bristles moderate ; wings 

 moderate, or rather long, third quill nearly as long as the fourth ; 

 tail moderate, even, or emarginate ; tarsus slighly lengthened ; 

 feet moderate, 



Erythrosterna albicilla, Pall. 



323. Erythrosterna leucura, Gmel. Jerdon's Birds of India, 

 : Vol. I, p. 481. 



THE WHITE-TAILED ROBIN FLY-CATCHER. 



Length, 5 ; wings, 2'6 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 07. 



Bill dusky-brown ; irides dark-brown ; legs pale-brown. 



Above greyish olive-brown ; wings brown ; tail blackish-brown ; 

 the four outer tail-feathers on each side white for the greater 

 part of their length, broadly tipped with brown ; beneath white, 

 tinged with ashy-brown on the breast and flanks. 



In spring, by the end of March or the beginning of April, the 

 male by a partial moult assumes a bright orange-rufous chin and 

 throat, and the lores, cheeks, and sides of the neck become 

 tolerably pure ashy. This livery is again cast at the autumnal 

 moult. 



The occurrence of the White-tailed Robin Fly-catcher within 

 our limits is very doubtful. 



Erythrosterna parva, Beclist. 



3236s. Jerdon's Birds of India, Supplementary List ; Ibis, 

 1872 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol, III, p. 469 ; 

 Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 397 ; Muscicapa parva, 

 Bechst ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 128 ; Swinhoe 

 and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 67. 



The EUROPEAN WHITE-TAILED FLY-CATCHER differs only 

 from the last in having the ferruginous coloring spread down the 

 breast, instead of being confined to the neck and throat. It is 

 doubtful if the male ever assumes the garb of the female. It is 

 spread generally throughout the district, but only as a rather 

 common cold weather visitant 



Erythrosterna maculata, Tickdl. 



326. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 483. 



THE LITTLE PIED FLY-CATCHER. 



Length, 4'5 ; expanse, 7'5 ; wing, 2'4 ; tail, 1'85 ; tarsus, 0'9. 



Bill black ; irides dark-brown ; legs red- brown. 



Above, with the lores, cheeks, and sides of neck black ; a broad 

 white eyebrow extending to the nape ; large spot on the wings 

 formed by the greater-coverts, and the edges of the secondaries 

 white, and all the tail-feathers, except the central ones, white for 

 two-thirds of their length ; beneath pure white. 



